bilbopooh's Full Review: J. K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fir...
I, like legions of other Potter maniacs, waited with bated breath for the release of the fourth installment of Harry Potter's adventures. Unfortunately for me, an odd twist of fate resulted in my ordering the book online and it being delivered to my grandparents' house. I was forced to wait three weeks before laying hands on that coveted volume. I had, of course, intended to savor this massive novel, but I had waited so long that the task was doubly impossible. I got the book on a Friday night; I finished it during a ferocious thunderstorm in the wee hours of Thursday morning. I simply couldn't help myself.
The incredible thing about this book is that it is 734 pages long and there are kindergartners who have read it. But if you are familiar with Rowling's writing, this is not surprising at all. Her characters are utterly engrossing, her descriptions in-depth and fascinating, her plot so full of twists that you're liable to get whiplash.
After "Prizoner of Azkaban" was released, we were warned that the lightning bolt-marked wizard's adventures would grow increasingly darker, and the fourth book would contain more violence than any of the others, as well as leading Harry and his friends into the wonderful world of hormones. The change is gradual, however, and while two or three chapters near the end are definitely nightmare material, most of the book is nothing to worry about.
If you read the third book, you were no doubt shocked when the book's supposed villain was revealed to be Harry's strongest proponent. Rowling jerks you around even more this time around as one of the people Harry trusts most turns out to be his deadliest enemy's strongest supporter but is an impersonator of the person Harry thought he was.
"The Goblet of Fire" replaced the working title of "The Doomspell Tournament," and it refers to the magical cup which selects the contestants in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, a dangerous inter-school magical competition which has not been performed for several hundred years. Before we even hear of the goblet, we are treated to the Quidditch World Cup, at which point we are introduced to surly Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian seeker who will be one of the participants in the Tri-Wizard Cup.
He is from one of the two largest wizarding schools besides Hogwarts, presumably located somewhere in Russia. The other school is hidden in France. The Goblet of Fire picks one person to represent each school in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, whose presence means that no Quidditch House Cup will occur this year. But never fear, there will be no lack of flying broomsticks. Because of the dangerous nature of the tasks, all participants must be at least seventeen years old. It is no surprise when the handsome Cedric Diggory is chosen to represent Hogwarts. The surprise comes when Harry is chosen as a fourth competitor.
The remainder of the novel concerns Harry's struggles to complete the potentially deadly tasks before him, while undergoing the rigors of a typical fourth-year Hogwarts student. A new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a long spat with Ron, Hermione's crusade to free the house elves, Hagrid's grotesque charges in Care for Magical Creatures, a requirement to ask a girl to the Yule Ball, and the nagging suspicion that someone does not want him to survive this tournament are all key factors impeding Harry's progress.
Since we know there are seven books, we know that Harry will survive his ordeal. But what sacrifices must be made in order for him to get there? What about Rowling's hint that someone we care about will die in this book? Luckily, the somber undertones are offset by lots of humor, much of it provided by the irrepressible Weasley twins. But don't let your laughter get your guard down. "The Goblet of Fire" is a nail-biter from start to finish, and while you'll be begging for the fifth novel by the end, you may also be feeling more than a little tentative about what terrors it will bring.
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